<p>LAKELAND | A 21-year-old man was shot to death Thursday afternoon in southwest Lakeland, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. </p><p>Davonte Lewis of Cherry Tree Drive was shot about 2:20 p.m. while at a house at 5634 Cherry Wood Circle, a Sheriff's Office report stated. </p><p>Detectives are investigating his death as a homicide. </p><p>Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Carrie Eleazer said it doesn't appear the afternoon shooting is related to an apparent drive-by shooting that occurred in northwest Lakeland about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday.</p><p>Jazmine Cruz, 17, lives near the neighborhood and said she was a close friend of Lewis. She said she was shocked by the incident. </p><p>"I didn't want to believe it," Cruz said. </p><p>Cruz said Lewis often hung out near the house where he was shot, which is a few blocks from his home. </p><p>She was walking through the cul-de-sac Friday but said the neighborhood no longer felt safe.</p><p>"It's getting really bad around here," she said.</p><p>In March, a resident in the same neighborhood was shot multiple times by three people. </p><p>Detectives said two men knocked on the door of the Cherry Wood Circle resi­dence about 12:30 a.m. on March 31 while a third suspect remained out of view.</p><p>According to reports, the resident opened the door and was shot multiple times.</p><p>The resident has since been released from Lakeland Regional Medical Center. </p><p>It was unknown Friday whether the shootings were related or whether any suspects in the March shootinghad been located. </p><p>According to Florida Department of Corrections, Lewis was on probation out of Marion County for attempted second-degree murder and possession of a weapon or ammunition by a felon or delinquent.</p><p>Anyone with information can contact Detective Jason McPherson at 863-298-6379.</p><p>[ Stephanie Allen can be reached at stephanie.allen@theledger.com or 863-802-7550. ]</p>